Postcards
by Raven Ariana
Summary: In which Georgiana inadvertently invents the first postcard, and Elizabeth amuses herself with naming it. One-shot.


_Written for the prompt 'postcards', in a writing challenge established between one of my best friends and myself._

 _The earliest known postcard was reportedly sent in 1840 to writer Theodore Hook from Fulham, London, bearing a penny black stamp. I thought it would be fun to write Georgiana starting the 'trend' instead, as Regency ladies were so often touted as having various accomplishments such as drawing and dancing - it did not seem so far-fetched that they would send small watercolours or pictures through correspondence. Besides, the idea of Elizabeth and Mr Darcy debating what to name this new 'invention' was delightful._

 _I tried to stay true to Austen's style of writing - I apologise if any lapses occur._

* * *

Postcards

It was Georgiana who started it, at twenty, while on a trip to Bath with Mrs Annesley and Catherine Bennet to visit an old school friend.

Kitty, at the behest of the drawing master Mr Darcy had so generously engaged to further her accomplishments, spent many afternoons in the drawing room sketching and watercolouring various scenes from memory – the Pump Rooms, Sydney Gardens, the Royal Crescent. While no great artist herself, Georgiana possessed sufficient fondness for the activity to accompany Kitty in occupying themselves, when she tired of practicing on her pianoforte.

It was during one such afternoon that Georgiana chose to occupy herself with making a small watercolour of the view of the Royal Crescent, as she had an hour before it was time to dress for dinner with the Graftons. Kitty was undertaking a larger project, requiring an easel and the last full sheet of watercolour paper. As they had neglected to acquire new sketchbooks, Georgiana carefully cut a piece from an old, discarded sketch of Kitty's before seating herself by the window to work on her own project.

"That is a very pretty watercolour, Georgiana – a very good likeness," Mrs Annesley commented upon her completion of the piece, while Kitty echoed the sentiments. "Will you display it?"

Georgiana considered the piece, quickly adding 'The Royal Crescent, Bath' and her initials in careful brush script. "Perhaps – but do you think Lizzy might enjoy this? She has yet to visit Bath, and it is little enough to be sent with a letter."

"I am sure Mrs Darcy will appreciate your watercolour – does she not already have a collection of Kitty's works?"

Kitty looked up upon hearing her name, and replied in the affirmative when she was applied to – her sister _did_ enjoy collecting Kitty's own pieces, and it was a very good likeness of the Royal Crescent to show Lizzy. However, Kitty's good-natured effusions vanished as she caught sight of the clock on the mantelpiece.

"Oh! It is a quarter-hour past time for us to dress for dinner – we shall be late if we do not hurry!"

Mrs Annesley and Georgiana exclaimed that they had quite forgot the time, and Georgiana hastily scribbled several lines to her sister on the back of the watercolour, before folding it into her usual letter papers (1), writing the direction, and sealing it, leaving it on the hall-table to be sent with the household's post come morning.

* * *

Elizabeth Darcy was perusing the morning's post at the breakfast table, with her husband seated across from her, when she recognized Georgiana's script.

"Fitzwilliam, it's a letter from Georgiana," Elizabeth announced. "Our sister has not forgot me, you see," she added with a teasing smile, reminding Darcy of his tease two days prior, when a letter had arrived from Georgiana for him, with no letter for Elizabeth in sight, sparking a debate on which of them could claim to be Georgiana's favourite.

Her husband looked up from his morning paper with a smile. "That may be true, and I congratulate you on it, however, I do believe that _my_ letter was much thicker."

"I should not have taught you to tease," Elizabeth threw him an arch look across the table while opening her letter. She was rather startled when something fell out, and left the open letter on the table before reaching down to retrieve the fallen object.

Darcy caught sight of the discarded letter and frowned. "Why has Georgiana written nothing?"

Elizabeth, having retrieved the object, exclaimed over her husband's comment. "Look, Fitzwilliam – Georgiana has sent me a watercolour of the Royal Crescent – how pretty!"

"That is all well and good, but it is unlike her to write nothing," Darcy commented as Elizabeth passed the watercolour across the table for him to admire his sister's work.

"There is something on the back, Fitzwilliam – here, let me see."

Elizabeth's smile widened as she read Georgiana's message on the back, assuring her of her wellbeing and her wish to share some of Bath's views with her sister, with a promise of a longer letter on the morrow.

"This is a rather charming way to send a letter – if we discarded the sleeve entirely and wrote the direction on the card itself, do you think we would pay less postage (2)?" Elizabeth laughed.

"I hardly think we should need to save on postage, Elizabeth, with ten thousand a year," Darcy replied gravely. "Besides, what would Lady Catherine say?"

"You know as well as I that Lady Catherine will say anything she wants to say, Fitzwilliam, but I suspect she would have most to say on the subject of my impertinence corrupting you and polluting the shades of Pemberley. Besides, as the primary family in the area, we must, of course, practice the virtue of economy as an _example_ to all our neighbours, for that is our duty," Elizabeth responded archly, with as haughty a look as she could muster... and proceeded to dissolve into laughter. "I hope I have done Lady Catherine justice. But oh, I should not have taught you to tease so."

Darcy laughed outright. "I am quite sure it is not _me_ whom Aunt Catherine has corrupted, my love. Besides, it is too late for regrets now, Elizabeth. You have set me down the path of no return. But you are quite right, I suspect it would reduce the postage, although we would scandalize the _ton_ with our new-fangled notions, not to mention the utter lack of privacy with letters out in the open for everyone to read."

Elizabeth sighed. "That is rather a shame. I should still think it possible, however, if only the direction was written, with no message. The picture might speak the message well enough."

"A picture being worth a thousand words (3), you mean?" Darcy raised a questioning eyebrow.

"An excellent description, husband. However, I suppose we could not call it a 'letter', then, as it does not adhere to any conventions of letter-writing." Elizabeth added thoughtfully.

"How else would you call it then, if not a 'letter'?"

"Do you not think it resembles a calling card? Perhaps a 'card' would be a better description."

"A card that goes through the post, then?"

"That is rather a mouthful. Let us call it a 'post-card'," Elizabeth decided.

"A post-card it shall be. Will you write Georgiana informing her of the name you have decided on, for her unintentional invention?" Darcy's eyes held a spark, even as his tone was gravely serious.

"I shall do so directly after breakfast, and entreat our sister to deliver more of the same for our entertainment."

It was with great glee that Elizabeth penned her reply to Georgiana that morning, expressing delight over the watercolour, and requesting more post-cards of Bath to be included in future correspondence, to Georgiana's considerable amusement.

* * *

 _1 Letters were traditionally sent folded in on itself and sealed, with no outer envelope, and the direction (address) was written on the outside._

 _2 Postage was expensive before 1840, and subject to various factors_ _. A letter with something enclosed in it would have been more expensive to send (which means that Georgiana's enclosed 'post-card' would have cost more than a regular letter). This is why Elizabeth is wondering if a card posted by itself would cost less – although of course, postage costs would be of little concern to those of the Darcy's station and income._

 _3 Wikipedia states that a version of this quote appeared in a newspaper in 1911, but of course similar ideas have been expressed prior to that. I took some liberties with having Mr Darcy quote this._


End file.
